Iran From Top To Bottom

Persia, the extraordinary land that is home to one of the world’s oldest civilizations, has been known in the west as Iran since 1935, and is a modern country of more than 80 million people. On this 18-day journey, experience 11 wonderful UNESCO Sites, explore fabulous bazaars, admire splendid architecture, discover formidable archaeological sites and converse with the welcoming Iranian people.

Cultural Series programs focus on the people and traditions of the countries they explore and include fascinating interactive experiences, including visits to small towns and villages outside the major urban areas and capital cities. Accommodations are in charming, well-located and often locally-owned hotels and B&Bs. The maximum group size is 16 travelers.

Itinerary & Highlights at a Glance

Days 1-5: Tehran, Qazvin, Zanjan

Begin in Tehran, surveying the jewel-encrusted crowns and scepters in Tehran’s collection of Crown Jewels, and its 16th century Golestan Palace. Tour the city of Qazvin, founded in the 3rd century BC, and head to Zanjan to admire the turquoise dome of the beautifully restored Soltaniyeh Mausoleum.

Days 6-10: Tabriz, Kerman, Yazd

Drive to Tabriz, browsing its labyrinthine UNESCO-listed bazaar, flourishing since the 13th century. Fly to Kerman and stroll among the pools and greenery of UNESCO-listed Shahzadeh Garden, then sip tea in an old hammam. In Zoroastrian Yazd, visit the Fire Temple and the Towers of Silence, and look for the wind towers, called badgirs, that cool the homes.

Days 11-14: Shiraz, Persepolis, Firuzabad, Bishapur, Yasuj

Inspect the ruins of Cyrus the Great’s Pasargadae before arriving in romantic Shiraz, the “City of Roses and Nightingales.” Explore one of the most important sites of the ancient world, Persepolis, and visit Firuzabad, winter quarters of the Qashqai nomads. Continue along a mountainous road to Kazerun to see the remains of the old city of Bishapur and its imposing palace.

Highlights

Achaemenid tomb of Cyrus the Great in Pasargadae (UNESCO World Heritage Site)

Shiraz, the “City of Roses and Nightingales”

UNESCO-listed Persepolis, one of the most important sites of the ancient world

Cultural Series programs focus on the people and traditions of the countries they explore and include fascinating interactive experiences, including visits to small towns and villages outside the major urban areas and capital cities. Accommodations are in charming, well-located and often locally-owned hotels and B&Bs. The maximum group size is 16 travelers.

2019 Dates

Please Note:

Some 2018 departures fall during or near holidays. Please refer to the detailed downloadable itinerary for more details.

Group Size

Small Groups – Never More than 16 Travelers. Guaranteed!

What’s Included

On Your Tour

Shared accommodations in well-located first class hotels in the major cities and best available hotels elsewhere. (Best available properties may still be basic and simple.)

17 breakfasts, 16 lunches and 16 dinners.

Bottled water at group meals.

Restaurant tips for included meals.

Services of an experienced, English-speaking MIR Tour Manager with local guides at specific sites.

Arrival/departure transfers. MIR will arrange for all travelers to be met on arrival and seen off on departure whether we make your airfare arrangements or not, provided you arrive and depart on the tour start/end dates in the tour start/end cities.

Ground transportation throughout itinerary by private coach or van (size of vehicle depends on group size).

Guided sightseeing tours and entrance fees as outlined in itinerary.

Special events, excursions and cultural performances per the itinerary.

Baggage handling where available.

Gratuities to local guides and drivers.

Before Your Tour

Personalized pre-departure support from one of our knowledgeable Tour Specialists.

Cultural Series programs focus on the people and traditions of the countries they explore and include fascinating interactive experiences, including visits to small towns and villages outside the major urban areas and capital cities. Accommodations are in charming, well-located and often locally-owned hotels and B&Bs. The maximum group size is 16 travelers.

Prepare for Your Trip

International Airfare

MIR's in-house, full-service air department will gladly assist with your air travel needs.

Read our Travel Journals

Follow along with seasoned MIR Tour Manager, Michel Behar, as he blogs his way through MIR's Ancient Persia - Modern Iran small group tour. Spend each day with him as he recounts his favorite traditional Persian foods, his discoveries at the outdoor markets, and his impressions of the gardens, art and architecture of Iran.... Read More

Andrew Barron, MIR's Director of Scheduled Group Tours, visits the ancient Silk Road in Western China and the 'Stans with the Chinese Turkestan & Central Asia scheduled group tour. Read about his journey from Almaty to Urumqi, Kashgar and Bishkek.... Read More

MIR in the News

MIR’s one-of-a-kind exploration of the Russian space program has gotten a starring role in several media outlets recently, including the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, leading Spanish-language travel magazine Conocedores, the Mat... Read More

Luxury Travel Advisor, a leading publication covering “the latest news and trends in luxury travel,” advises adding MIR’s new small group journey From the Heavenly Tien Shan to the High Pamirs to your 2019 bucket list. ... Read More

From the Blog

Uzbekistan is already extremely appealing, with its domed mosques and madrassahs clad in vivid ceramic tiles, and with the endemic hospitality of its culture. But now, after a first-ever International Tourism Forum, Uzbekista... Read More

Marisa Dodd, Assistant Tour Specialist at MIR, recently returned from her first trip to Uzbekistan – a country she had long dreamt of visiting. Her experience made a lasting impression. She was surprised to discover how smo... Read More

Search the Blog

Traveler Reviews

“The trip was wonderful. It had an excellent itinerary, was professionally guided, and the activities were more than adequate–and elegant in some cases. We also liked the tour group, its size, and the transportation. I will definitely travel again with MIR–and I hope to return to Iran and Turkmenistan.”- T. Lucas - Seattle, WA